The present invention relates to the secure transfer of data from a first data processing means which is connected to the terminal means to a second data processing means which is to be connected to the terminal means. More particularly, it relates to such a transfer of data when the first and second data processing means are chip cards, the first of which contains confidential data relating to a user of the card, which data are to be transferred to the second card intended to replace the first.
For example, the chip cards are SIM or USIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards and the terminal means is a terminal of a mobile user.
At present, if a first SIM card in service in the terminal of the mobile user has to be replaced on account of a malfunction of the card or due to an improvement to the SIM cards by the operator responsible therefore, the user must go to a point of sale of the operator in order to transfer confidential data from the first and old card to a second and new card via a special data transfer machine and to delete the confidential data in the first card or destroy the latter.
The transfer machine may be a copying device according to patent application WO 03/085631.